Box of Times
by ficwriterm
Summary: Kahlan, Richard, Cara and Zedd are after a certain Box of Times, whose content they are afraid have been disturbed by Evil forces. Who controlled this box, could control their dreams, perceptions, and even influence reality. Cara/Kahlan fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

Kahlan and Cara walked side by side on their journey towards the Valley of Oblivion. Richard's compass had shown that this would be the way from now on.

"Maybe if we manage to find the Box of Times early enough, we could try to make things a little better", Kahlan spoke to Cara in a friendly tone. It was crucial to have Cara back with them to secure Seeker's quest.

"What is it with this box that is so important?" Cara asked.

Kahlan spoke about the Box of Times that they were after, and it was the most recently seen in the Valley of Oblivion. Zedd had explained to her and Richard that this strange box contained Time's Arrows.

"The flow of these arrows controlled everything: one couldn't stop their flow, but one could alter them for good or for bad purposes. Each arrow controlled something: There were arrows of Emotions, of War, of Love, even of Time and Perception..."

"Arrows of War and Love?" Cara laughed and looked incredulous at Kahlan. "You mean somebody could manipulate them and we would feel it?"

"Yes, if Evil forces have been able to disturb the arrows contained in this box... It would mean misery in this part of the Earth, manipulation of our passions, misinterpretations..."

"Okay, Kahlan, hold on. Passions, all that stuff? You expect me to believe it just like that? Hmm..." she smiled but looked thoughtful.

Kahlan listened with a kind of enjoyment Cara's forthright comments. And yes, Cara would definitely be the most challenging person to manipulate, since she was precisely trained to be strong against any mental weaknesses. Kahlan remembered so well the tribunal where she was ordered to execute Cara by confession. At that moment, Cara's flaming eyes and her expression of no remorse proved that nobody could change her mind. In that confrontation, Kahlan had also had a strange feeling that...

"Zedd, Richard, can it be that Rahl has already manipulated the Arrows contained in the box?" Cara's question interrupted her.

"You may be right Cara", Richard said, "we wouldn't know any more what is wrong and what is right. Like that a friend would appear as an enemy, or an enemy as a friend, you wouldn't trust your feelings." Richard looked at Kahlan who was watching him strangely. "What?"

"Oh nothing Richard."

Kahlan continued walking sunk in her thoughts. It was true that two forces had been playing in her mind since Cara joined the group. The first force was the disturbing one of the terrible thing she could never forget. That Cara had murdered her sister. Her beloved sister! Even she probably couldn't have done otherwise. But also slowly she had been able to forgive Cara, and she wanted to believe Seeker's words that people can change.

The second force in Kahlan's mind was capricious. She felt something in the presence of Cara that she didn't understand well. It was her appearance, her way of speaking, her attitude of acting first and asking for permission later. Kahlan glanced over Cara's look, admittedly a gorgeous look considering the figure she had and her tightly fitting costume. Maybe she was simply drawn to Cara's down-to-earth style and her ability to cold-blood wield her agiels or any sharper weapons if that was case. And as a woman she could say that Cara was - plain and straight - a beauty. A down-to-earth beauty queen with a set of skills she was kind of jealous of.

"I don't believe this manipulation has been going on for a long time", Zedd commented, "otherwise we would have noticed it earlier."

"I think you are wrong, Zedd. I have noticed it earlier," Cara said.

"Really?" Zedd raised his eyebrows.

Richard smiled and moved closer to Kahlan. "Aww, nice! Cara explaining things to Zedd." They listened.

"Zedd, I have noticed the manipulation from very early on. In fact, it worked so strongly against me when I was taken from my home to become Mord-Sith. Even I was very young, I should have known better my father's feeling toward me in that prison! His feelings before I..."

"Cara, please you were really young at that age!" Richard touched her arm but Cara shook it off and continued.

"Zedd, I'm convinced that manipulation of Time's Arrows is not a recent phenomenon."

"She might be right", Richard whispered to Kahlan.

"But Cara…" The wizard opened his mouth.

"I felt it very strongly Zedd! I remember it like yesterday and I understand it now."

The wizard collected his thoughts and continued after a long time.

"I didn't want to reveal this to you yet. But Cara, you are right. The manipulation of our feelings through the Box of Times has been going on much longer than I wanted you to believe. It's much more dangerous than what you have known so far."

All three were horrified from Zedd's revelation.

"What can we do?" Kahlan asked.

"The Box of Times needs to be returned to a safe place, somewhere where it is surrounded by kind people. Before that, controlling this box allows any Evil force to enter your dreams, change your perceptions, influence..."

"Kind of magic?" Richard asked.

"More than magic. It really changes reality. So Cara, even you will have trouble to fight it."

Richard, Cara and Kahlan looked perplexed at each other. They were not sure if they understood.

"Okay, cut it wizard! Enough deep stuff for now", Cara winked her eye to Richard and Kahlan. "Let's just move on and find that box."


	2. Chapter 2

The night fell and they arrived at a tavern. They were starving and needed a place to rest. Zedd and Kahlan stepped first in and Richard and Cara followed. They entered in a half-empty bar with groups of men sitting in three tables, and most of them turned to look at the visitors. Zedd could hear short parts of their comments like "…they doing here…", "...wonder what these young women are …", "to amuse..." .

"Do you have a couple of rooms free for a night? And something to eat", Kahlan asked the bartender.

The bartender measured Kahlan up and down and looked at the other three. Apparently he didn't recognize who they were.

"Well yes we have. And I can bring what we have left from dinner."

Cara watched around and saw some of the men staring at her and Kahlan with a little ironic smile. A drunken man addressed Zedd.

"Hey you old man! Are these beauty faces your protectors? Maybe protectors of that white hair of yours?" He spoke loudly. "Sure you must be some kind of a wise-ass Wizard hahaha! Travelling with, let's see who we have here, dark-haired-serious-beauty Queen, a blonde-look-at-me Princess and an oh-so-young-and-valiant Knight. Should I be scared? You gonna do magic? Or your magic is reserved only for your fine little ladies?"

Cara stepped forward.

"As a matter of fact I am their protector but I'm not your little lady. Say you are sorry for your words and shut up."

"Well well, what am I hearing from those princessy lips..." He turned to his companions of the table. "This is just too amusi…"

Cara saw one of Kahlan's daggers was at her reach on Kahlan's waist. She grabbed it fast and walked directly behind the guy and put the blade on his throat.

"Do you want me to slit his throat right now, Wizard?"

The room got electrified and everybody looked at Cara and the blade. The other men in the table backed out. Gosh Cara was fast, Kahlan thought and touched the empty holder of the dagger. They looked at Cara with admiration.

"Wizard my Master, what do you command? This blade wants to drink blood…", Cara exaggerated to scare these bad guys and winked her eye a little to Zedd, Kahlan and Richard.

"Well, this should be a warning to him and his group. Next time if anything like this happens you can kill him without asking my permission." Zedd played along and they knew that these were too insignificant opponents for Cara.

Cara looked at the guy from close distance.

"Don't try me again...you don't know what I'm capable of." She murmured in a low voice just next to the guy's ear. "I'm no princess and these lips are not for you. I'm a bad girl... a very, very bad girl." The guy was shaking. "Now get out of my sight", she pushed him and kicked his chair. "Puppy".

"It's better that you go", the bartender exclaimed to the man to avoid any further trouble, "you have drunk too much."

They got now full peace to enjoy their late dinner. The other people in the tavern kept low voices and were careful to not disturb them.

"Well that was fun and cool, Richard said. And that 'puppy' really made my day."

"Okay thanks but it was nothing", Cara answered while cutting the meat. "I would have liked them to put up some more resistance", she grinned. She stabbed the knife into the piece and brought it to her mouth, smiling and looking around in the bar.

Ah...what a woman, Kahlan thought looking at Cara eat and enjoy. She understood why Zedd liked Cara's sense of humor. She started to realize what kind of source of raw energy they had with them in the form of a Mord-Sith. Cara had grabbed that dagger so fast from her waist and moved surely to accomplish the goal of eliminating her opponent. Kahlan had to just admire her. Cara was like a material force bound to a form of a, well, beautiful woman. Kahlan was also herself a good fighter, an excellent one, but in a different way. She had to always consider her mission, possibly a lonely mission of a Confessor. She looked at Richard, who she respected from all her heart and mind, his kindness and care of her. Oh, so complicated, she thought and looked at the others.

"I would have loved to see that." Zedd said to Cara. He was talkative after some wine. "But you played this one so well, haha. The guy was so scared! I knew taking him out was easy for you. 'Wizard my master' okay Cara I liked that. Sorry Richard, just joking!" They all started to laugh.

They finished the dinner and were in a light mood.

"So guys, we got two rooms. How do we share?" Kahlan looked at them.

"I guess the question is, who wants to take a Mord-Sith?" Cara asked with a playful tone.

"Well Cara", Richard said, "I want to speak with Zedd more about the Box of Times, what it really is, where it comes from, and how it is used to manipulate our feelings. So…"

"Ok, Cara is then mine," Kahlan bit her lip as she noticed immediately what she had said.

"Or you mine", Cara returned quickly.

Richard enjoyed their exchange and smirked at Kahlan's direction, like saying without words "can't do nothing, she is all yours!" Sweet warm feeling rose on Kahlan's cheeks, certainly due to the wine or the nearby fireplace.

"Okay I can live with that", Cara continued. "Unless you are afraid I will grab your daggers again..."

"Oh no you won't!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Well the tavern is a bit shabby but at least we have a good room. Look at this large bed and decorations", Kahlan said when they retreated to their room.

Kahlan had to admit this was a bit new to her, sharing a room with Cara, although they had camped together already many weeks outside and all four had slept together close to the warmth of the fire. She sat on the bed.

"Kahlan, do you believe that our feelings have been manipulated through that box?"

Cara looked Kahlan now closer, undisturbed by their usual surroundings. Kahlan was a special woman, Cara thought. Noble, with a big mission, and she had saved her in that tribunal. Yet she was friendly, even she probably realized that being a friend with a Mord-Sith would be next to impossible.

"Not sure, Cara. Maybe they have been already influenced...I'm perplexed by the warnings that I know so well. That a Confessor cannot have, well you know the story, certain relationships. That her mate would be driven crazy."

"So you believe it's like that? It sounds a bit complicated...Ah sorry I'm just chatting."

Kahlan started to relax now with their talking and took a more comfortable position on the bed. Cara settled herself on the other side opposite to Kahlan.

"Oh don't worry", Kahlan said and was happy with Cara's comment. She changed now the subject and teased Cara a little. "You were indeed quite a badass today with those men, Cara."

Cara smiled on these words and let her eyes wander a little on Kahlan's appearance. She looked gentle as always, her dark hair framed her face beautifully, yet at times she got a more serious expression on her face. Not bad, she is quite an expressive woman too, she thought. It's true Cara had a special feeling when she was close to Kahlan. In a way she knew Kahlan was on a par with her. It was almost like a balancing power for her serving Richard.

"Well I guess that's what a Mord-Sith is supposed to be", Cara answered smiling and played with the blanket, watching Kahlan and occasionally turning her eyes away.

The lamp flickered and brought nuances to their faces. Kahlan's dress folded beautifully on the bed, whereas Cara's costume reflected the light of the lamp in reddish tones.

"Yeah those guys there, it was almost boringly easy…", she continued.

As strange as it was, Cara's eyes talked as much as her words to Kahlan. In a way Kahlan had thought she knew Cara, but she hadn't. Looking at Cara now from close distance and seeing her expressions made Kahlan shiver. Cara was more than just a Mord-Sith. Way more.

"Oh, and what's not boring then? Some more serious fights?" Kahlan asked.

She realized that deep in her thoughts she had looked at Cara quite a long time, her face, her subtle expressions that the candle light revealed. Maybe it didn't matter, she thought, at least for Cara it didn't seem to matter. Yes, if you want to know someone, it's not question of seconds, words you speak, how long you watch, thoughts went through Kahlan's mind.

"Yeah maybe, but it's not really the fight." Cara formed the words carefully. "It's what's at stake in those situations. In any situations, at least those which involve people, their passions."

Kahlan's warm curiosity upsetted Cara. For a short moment she saw both of them as from the ceiling. She saw the effect of candle light, she saw one of them smiling and curious, the other one strangely reserved in this situation which she had just described. Cara saw herself and a woman who was on a par with her. She saw Kahlan in a new light, she realized this could be a woman who would fight her, be her friend, be more…an impossible friend. She realized it. She knew it had started so much earlier.

"I understand", Kahlan made an effort to sound calm. She hadn't heard what Cara said, she had read it from her eyes. She understood too well.

A sharp crimson light flashed in the horizon and the afterglow filled the room with red tones.

There were images in Kahlan's mind she wouldn't have thought. Fighting these images made them even stronger. Cara's look at the tribunal…then her arms around her... combination of images. Friend or enemy...her smile...how she would kiss her...it's too much. Her touch, how… All these images and words related to them too much. But she forced herself to look at Cara, her eyes that she had studied without seeing them really, without seeing nothing and it shook her profoundly. She didn't see strong Cara, no sarcastic Cara, the usual badass girl with her sharp comments. No, she just saw her as a woman in her incredible beauty, Cara's eyes speaking to her, a woman who she had thought was her enemy, a woman who didn't threaten her. She read from Cara's eyes that she didn't need to be strong, strong was for another time. Kahlan had never experienced anything so beautiful.

Kahlan felt that time stopped.

Cara had leaned forward, touched her cheek and kissed her forehead. Kahlan closed her eyes, she kissed Cara back, shyly, straight on Cara's quivering lips. Cara's hair swept on Kahlans shoulders when she touched her nose with her own and kissed Kahlan sweetly and intensively. Kahlan let her head fall on the pillow and Cara followed her, kissing Kahlan now on top of her, her blonde hair falling on Kahlan face. Cara put her palms around Kahlan's cheeks, smiling and teasing, then joining her lips again, with sweet, intensive kisses, again.

Candle light radiated it's warmth on the game only they would know for a long time. It was game of love, nothing less. Happy, painful, sweet, difficult game of love.

Kahlan lifted herself and pushed Cara sweetly on the bed. "Now you Mord-Sith…", half serious, "I will kiss you so that you will remember it….", "Do that", Cara gasped smiling "Come on girl..." Kahlan touched Cara's lips with her tongue, admired her beautiful hair and pressed her lips on Cara's lips, kissing her deep with her eyes smiling, while Cara wrapped her arms around Kahlan, kept her close, not letting her go and Kahlan not wanting to leave. Their bodies and imaginations started to melt into one, never wanting to become separated again. The 'now' of this night was eternity.

When the bright flight flashed in the horizon at dawn, this time with green colors, Cara was sure. She knew she was not broken, she had never been broken. She had just started to live. Kahlan's hair had a beautiful scent. Cara kissed and caressed it, Kahlan had her eyes closed, her body pressed on her and they both fell again into sleep. Both knew somewhere vaguely in the other side of dreams that there were things to come up, very difficult things. But it was not for now.


	4. Chapter 4

"So Zedd, tell me about this Box of Times. Can it really influence my feelings and even my perceptions? My dreams?"

In the other room Richard and Zedd had started to talk about the strange object in question. Zedd laid on the bed tired from the wine and Richard sat at a small table next to the window.

"It's a dangerous thing, you will see."

"Okay, and how will I see it?"

"Just wait. You can defer it perhaps for a while if you don't close your eyes...haha...but we need to sleep."

"Noo Zedd, I'm not sure if I really believe you. Why right now it would be especially dangerous?"

"Well as a wizard I feel certain things, like when there are powerful forces in the air. I feel that 'it' has been increasing."

"I don't follow you Zedd. Which 'it'?"

Richard started to grow more and more uneasy with Zedd's strange explanations, especially because his explanations didn't explain to him anything.

"Richard, let me clarify it to you. You need to think outside the ordinary, outside the box as they say, haha oops sorry, no pun intended!" Zedd had apparently become drunken now. "Because the appearances can fail you. You need to see the different possible combinations around us, like parallel worlds in which we could be living. Think about the kaleidoscope. More wine?"

Kaleidoscope, oh god, parallel universes, even better. What the heck was this wizard hallucinating? Richard accepted the bottle and took a much bigger sip than usually.

"Oh yeah kaleidoscope and parallel universes, right, yes, naturally, that's exactly what I'm thinking about right now." Richard muttered grumpily gurgling the wine.

"And there can be even sudden switches between these worlds. The switches happen usually when there are bright flashes in the horizon… this means the Arrows in the Box of Times could have been manipulated, their flow reoriented, the Arrow of Time, for example, mixed with the Arrow of Love, your enemies becoming your friends and vice versa and what not, or even lovers before they know it, timewise I mean, or allying with Darken Rahl, who could be…"

"Aaah! Shut up Zedd please I can't follow you!"

"And it can be also the other way around, where a previous manipulation relaxes back to the more normal flow of the Arrows. In that case, just as an example, the Mord-Siths, like Cara, could actually not be broken but their minds infiltrated by a set of certain surrogate memories… without you, Kahlan or herself knowing it, and Confessors, I don't even want think how complicated it could be for them. You see it's crazy out there, you don't want to …" Zedd's words started to blur out "...mess with... mmh...the...zzzz". Finally Zedd's talking machine silenced and he started to sleep.

Richard shook his head. Fine. Right. He felt like he was an actor in some kind of a weird theater piece, trying to desperately follow the script, but the script changed all the time and became more and more complicated with Zedd's goddamn explanations. He tried to think what Zedd had said, but it was too incoherent to make any clear sense. But Richard respected the wizard and didn't judge his words as simple drunkard's speech. Perhaps the whole damn thing, the effects from the Box, was too crazy even for Zedd to grasp. He suspected that even Zedd couldn't explain things better when he is sober. Right, then there would be nothing else to do than getting some sleep and bringing in the monsters. He would be ready for that funny box.

Just after he fell asleep there was the moment of crimson light flashing in the horizon.

A mix of faces. "Richard...Richard…" two different voices called his name. He couldn't recognize if they were women's or men's voices. Silence, blue light. Appearance of a kaleidoscope. Kahlan's face on one facet. On the others Zedd's face, Denna, Darken Rahl, his own face, Cara's face and still other faces, with no apparent order. The facets started to glide with respect to each other, and like in a prism, light scattered from one facet to another, from one face to another. Zedd with Darken Rahl, he with Kahlan, Kahlan with Cara, Darken Rahl, whose face looked like Zedd, with Kahlan. There was no logic, it was like everything was possible. An agiel on his skin, an electric field, a box whose cover was slowly opening, two crows, red and white clothes, two lips as one, bath, water condensing into fog in a forest, fluttering black hair, a letter he couldn't recognize, his sword cutting an object in two, a smiling face of a woman, a clear letter of 'M', an angry face of an unknown person, voices, screams, sounds of birds, Annabelle. The kaleidoscope's facets turned and slided faster and faster.

Then silence and darkness.

This was it? Okay, Richard thought, well, a kind of dream sequence. Cool, images generated through his brain from some past experiences. No monsters. His sword was close to him. _Fingers touched his forehead._ Zedd snored on the other side of the bed. A voice said everything is possible. The room was silent. He couldn't locate the source of the voice. Hair caressed softly his face and there was a kiss on his lips. He didn't feel it threatening, more that his sense of curiosity was heightened. Like familiar faces turning suddenly strange but equally interesting or even more. He almost perceived each one who had been around him as from a new perspective. He felt he was not anymore bound to a script, whatever it had been in the first place.

"Remember … remember the… remember the letters", Richard heard from next to him. It was Zedd speaking in his sleep. "Remember the letters", Zedd spoke very clearly but was deep in his sleep.

A hand caressed his head, ran fingers through his hair. Feminine touch? Kahlan? Somebody else? More than one person? It was impossible to see the faces which were over him, the shape of the body or bodies almost just a shadow in this deep darkness before the dawn. Richard didn't feel the need to lift up, grab the person, whoever it was, to find out. His main feeling was strange confidence.

The room became silent and Richard wanted to fall back into sleep. He wanted the kaleidoscope, he wanted the monsters. The second flash in the horizon reached him after a few hours.

"Richard, Richard! Wake up. What were the letters?"

"Uh, Zedd, take it easy, what is it?"

"What were the letters you saw in the kaleidoscope?" Zedd was very excited.

Ahh…how could Zedd know about the kaleidoscope? He would ask later. The second letter was so clear that he could remember.

"Well okay I remember the second letter was 'M', a burning 'M'."

"The first one? The first one?"

"I cannot recall Zedd. I don't often remember my dreams."

"Try Seeker, you must remember! It was not a dream. This is important." He grabbed Richard's arm.

Richard wiped his face and scratched his head. Now the image came back to him. It was a curved letter, like 'U', 'J' or 'C'. He remembered it.

"Yes Zedd. The first letter was a burning 'C', a red-hot 'C'."

"So 'C' and 'M' ? This is unbelievable!" Zedd almost jumped into the air.

"Would you care to explain Zedd, what about those letters?"

"The kaleidoscope is the effect of the Box of Times. The letters that enter into it refer to a person. This person is the most important one for setting the Arrows of Time straight if somebody has manipulated the box."

Richard turned his incredulous face at Zedd.

"C. M. … Cara Mason? Cara?"

"Yes, Richard. The absolute key person to setting the Arrows of Time straight is no one else than Cara."


	5. Chapter 5

"Cara, Kahlan, are you still sleeping?" Richard knocked at their door. "We need to soon get going."

Kahlan opened and smiled.

"Good morning Richard. Okay we are coming I will just need to arrange my hair."

"Me too", Cara said from the room.

"Ok ok, sorry I'm hurrying you. I'll go already downstairs with Zedd to ask for some breakfast." Yes the ladies need time, naturally, the hair... "Zedd! Zedd?"

"My hair is such a mess after sleeping in a place like this, you know Richard, but luckily I have some of my special herbs with me and can do a quick wash, they are really good, you should try them too...okay, please go ahead Richard this will take some time."

"Oo…" Richard gave up "…kay". He moved downstairs, chatted a bit with the bartender. Finally Zedd appeared.

"We need to tell Cara?" Richard asked.

"Yes, but to try to tell it carefully, she may get upset."

"That's true. Oh Zedd, I don't get it, arranging the hair so much, I mean it is important but it's going to get messed up any way as soon as we get deeper into the forest. No?"

Kahlan and Cara followed now downstairs.

"Morning Zedd, wow your hair looks so good, what did you do to it? Those herbs again?" Kahlan said and touched a bit Zedd's white hair.

"Cool Zedd", Cara doubled the compliment.

Richard looked at Zedd. Touche... signalling to the wizard to give all those damn herbs to him as soon as possible.

"Richard, you look happy. What happened, you slept well?" Kahlan turned to him at the table.

"Yes I did. Well, first Zedd told me interesting things that the effects of the Box of Times come together with some kind of bright flashes in the horizon. In fact I dreamt about many things. It was a bit strange, like really taking place."

"They were not dreams", Zedd murmured.

"Really, what did you dream of?" Kahlan asked.

"There was a face I couldn't recognize, but it was very real, I felt the hair on my face and…"

"And?"

"It felt good... things were in order, kind of. It made me even to think how much we should be afraid of the effects from the Box, who knows. How about you two? It was a good night?" Richard looked at both of them. "No problem with a Mord-Sith?" he smirked at Kahlan.

"No problems, on the contrary."

"Just very hot in the room", Cara added. "We needed to…Auh!" Kahlan kicked her quickly under the table.

"Did you feel any special effects from the bright flashes? Like changes how you perceive your surroundings, or effects on your emotions? As Zedd said, it's about Arrows of Emotion and so on", Richard asked.

"Well nothing really strange. Everything felt quite right", Kahlan said and looked at Cara. "In fact very much right."

"And you Cara?"

"For me too", Cara said lightly smiling while eating her bread. Her nonchalant expression didn't nonetheless prevent Kahlan to read much more from her eyes.

"Okay great, now we have some news…" Richard started.

"Hey! How come nobody asks how was my night?" Zedd looked irritated.

"But you passed..."

"Wild. It was a wild night. I was at the Red Ocean, spent some time with eight fire demons, half male, half female, they kind of forced me to get to their party, well, what you can do in that kind of a situation… I joined them...oh boy…what an underworld that was, liquid metal and stuff, but then I heard a voice and felt that I needed to get back to help you guys. But I can tell you it was a hell of a party, you would have liked it."

"Oh yeah? And you decided to come back?" Cara laughed. "I would have stayed."

"Ha ha Zedd, you are kidding us?" Kahlan said.

"By no means don't believe me if you don't want. I'm just saying that as a wizard I know a thing or two about these flashes. We are now indeed in a..."

"Parallel universe?" Richard completed Zedd's sentence.

"Wow Richard, I'm impressed, maybe not exactly in parallel universe but really close. Yes, tell the others what you saw in the kaleidoscope."

Richard recited the best he could Zedd's incoherent explanations, told about what he saw and the two letters C and M.

"So Cara, I'm afraid many things depend on you now."

"Whoa. No no no no. Thanks but no thanks. It can't be so, you are crazy, no way."

"I believe it's true."

"Hah you don't see?" Cara started to get upset. "I have done bad things, I'm just an extra in this group, stranger. It can't be so. I should not even be with you. Maybe I should leave, you can easily find another Mord-Sith to replace me."

"Cara", Kahlan touched her arm. "You are not a stranger any more. I don't know what this means but you have to stay with us." Her words had no effect on Cara.

"I'm sorry if I disappoint you all but I don't want to do big fancy things, I didn't plan to be a hero."

Cara shrugged and stood up, determined to go. If this was it, so be it.

"Better that I leave you right now." Cara started to walk away.

"Cara!" Richard shouted. "Kahlan, go after her, you have to stop her."

Kahlan stood up and went after Cara. She stopped Cara after the doorway, out of sight from the others.

"Cara, Zedd said it was not a dream." Kahlan tried to catch Cara's eyes.

"I know", Cara didn't look at her. "What do you want from me? Of course it was fantastic." She looked uneasy but her voice was softer with the last sentence. "But I'm an extra here, a helper, fighter, whatever, but it's for the other people's bigger quests."

The two women stood face to face. Kahlan hesitated, she looked at Cara's features, how Cara didn't clearly want to continue. Kahlan could understand her reaction and what she said.

"Don't beg me to stay Kahlan. I don't give anything to people who beg. And for the record I don't believe what Zedd says about the box."

Cara eyes were sharp and she looked like a she-wolf ready to go her own way. She didn't really believe in the box, her friendship would be difficult and most of all, Kahlan didn't want to force Cara play a role she didn't want to. Considering the situation from outside, there could be a sad solution, coming from who knows where, to let Cara leave them. It was the question of Kahlan parting her now as a friend, both of them left with a beautiful memory and a wish that 'one day they would meet again'. The story would continue, Richard would be a hero, Kahlan would be a hero. But the thing was that Kahlan was not outside of herself, she didn't look at the situation from outside. She had never counted on wishes, the wishful 'one day's of the future that never come.

"You can do it by yourselves, the three of you. Find the box, take it where it's needed. Go. You are losing time." Cara sounded more and more determined.

The space where they were standing was small, dark and dirty, at the other end of a corridor. The only light came from somewhere at the upper floors. Would everything end in this pathetic corridor of a wasted tavern? But how could Kahlan give a chance to Cara if Cara wouldn't want to come with them?

Surrounded by awkward thoughts, Kahlan still refused to touch Cara's arm, ask her to stay with them. It would be begging, oh, she knew Cara already too well. Kahlan realized Cara could really leave them, could step out right now. Cara stood close but didn't look at her. Kahlan heard drops of water somewhere in the dark corners of the corridor, the light from upstairs flickered, the suspense materialized in their breathing, neither of the women would move, take a step either back or forth. Until the raw external world, which was never far, forced the solution.

"Look out Cara!"

Whoosh...Kahlan saw a glimpse of the head of the arrow just after it got released from a bow at the other end of the corridor. Kahlan rushed forward and pushed Cara out of the arrow's trajectory. The arrow avoided Cara and penetrated the upper part of Kahlan's arm, which started to bleed. Without Kahlan's action, the projectile would have pierced Cara's neck with fatal consequences.

It took a millisecond for Cara to realize what happened after she had heard the sound and the slight pressure change in the air: Kahlan had taken the arrow that was meant to kill her. Kahlan, the Mother Confessor, she had stepped in front of the arrow to save somebody who felt as an extra, somebody who felt herself as an outsider, a damned Mord-Sith.

The time span from the next millisecond to a couple of subsequent seconds was enough for Cara to take the assailant out. She literally burnt the shit out of the aggressor with her agiels.

"Richard, Zedd, come quick!" Cara shouted.

"Kahlan!"

"I take care of her, make sure there are no other assailants nearby. There, at the end of the corridor!"

Richard ran into the corridor and saw a shadowy person disappear from a side door. Cara took care of Kahlan's arm, arranged bandages and let Kahlan's upper body lean on her when she laid on the wooden floor.

"Cara, uh...it's painful but...it looks like it's still a surface wound. I can press it with my hand, you can go with the others."

"Don't talk, I take care of you", Cara answered quietly. Her touch on Kahlan's wounded body was gentle and she had a serious expression on her face.

Richard and Zedd searched the surroundings but were unable to catch the other aggressors. The person that was put to sleep by Cara looked like just a local villain, contracted for a one-time assassination. This person wouldn't be able to tell more about who was behind the attempt.

"It's not any more safe here. Looks like somebody has the same information as we have!"


	6. Chapter 6

A dim orange light intensifies on a yellow-brown empty parchment, a hand starts to write with quill, seemingly incomprehensible letters, which however start to make sense when looked at closer. Cara feels the light breeze on her hair, she is like in an underground observatory, watching an ancient script fold out. It is a temple or a similar place, it feels familiar, she has been there long time ago, not alone.

The silent letters speak to her, she reads and hears her name... _Cara Mason, you are the Key to the Arrows_...The voice through the letters amplifies and diminishes, she doesn't hear everything _….Choose wisely_ …The light wavers, where is she, what is this place?... _Destiny_...Multitude of voices… _Don't let it slip through your fingers_ … Alternating green and orange rays bombard the parchment, _You must_ …, but it's getting too bright to see the text, Cara covers her eyes, she cannot watch directly, the voices compete like arrows over the parchment... _Set the arrows straight Cara, set them straight_...

"Cara, Cara, is everything fine?" Kahlan touched her arm. "Did you see a nightmare? I saw you shiver."

"I don't know... It was like a message, like from the past, a lot of arrows and bright lights with different colors, somebody saying I must make a wise choice, hmm."

"I guess we have to wait to see what that means."

They were approaching the outer border of the Valley of Oblivion. After Kahlan got injured, Cara had taken care of her and it was of course no question to leave the group. The wound was finally not very bad and with a little bit of Zedd's additional magic the arm was healed.

"Now that we enter the valley, let's recapitulate what we have", Zedd started. "So it seems we need to find the box and return it to safe hands. It's already changing something around us, and Cara I hope you believe in it at least a little if you are supposed to be the key person here."

"Yes", Richard continued, "those people in the tavern seemed to know something about Cara's role. Too bad that I didn't catch the one who escaped...she was just too fast."

"She?" Kahlan raised her eyebrows. "A woman?"

"Yeah, it makes me wonder who are the ones who want to stop us."

Cara listened their exchange frustrated.

"Guys. Hey guys. We will now change the route and take a sharp turn south."

"South? But it's a much longer route?"

"So? What do you mean, route where? I'm sorry Richard, I do serve you but I hope you trust me on this one."

"But I was thinking, wouldn't the most probable way to find the box be to go to the central village and ask there around?"

"I see your point Richard, but you have all touted that I should be the key person. So then I guess it's time for me to finally take the lead."

Kahlan looked at Richard, hinting him gently to give in.

"Okay I'm sorry Cara, yes we follow you."

The three of them were perplexed but knew that this was needed. But the surprises didn't stop there.

"And I know where your box is. Yeah by the way you can't really stop the effects from the box, it's always changing something around us. And as Richard said the other day, don't need to be so afraid about it. We need to find a sanctuary which is in a certain town in the south", Cara chatted like just about some ordinary thing. "Oh crap these branches! Doesn't anybody take care of cleaning the route… Hey, what are you looking at?"

Three pairs of dilated eyes watched at Cara.

"Wow, what...you said that you don't even believe in the box?" Kahlan was stupefied.

"Oh the box, well I don't believe in everything Zedd says about it, but the Box of Times certainly exists. I have seen it."

"By the gods, Cara! You didn't say anything about this." Richard was confused. Zedd murmured something along the lines "I really didn't see that coming".

"Well I couldn't before I did the math", Cara said. "Well not the 'math' math, which I by the way enjoyed in the Mord-Sith's school, but the math of my experiences so far. Those of my youth, during this journey, what Zedd claims, how we experience now something unexpected. It must be what I think. You will see. Oh I'm sorry you need to just follow the leader without questions, but hey, sometimes it happens. Welcome to my world ha ha!"

Cara led the group now and they headed south. The next day at noon they entered the town Cara had in mind and asked for their sanctuary. People at the central square indicated the route but said that the sanctuary was not anymore taken care of.

After a few moments they arrived at the sanctuary and were overwhelmed by a beautiful but slightly dilapidated view, saw its arcs and pillars with words carved in stone. Cara was excited, she had forgotten the place. Oh gosh, so long time ago, memories came back to her when she touched the wall. Wow and these irises, they grow still where I remembered them.

"Cara...so you are really saying the box is there, just lying around somewhere in this forgotten sanctuary?" Kahlan asked.

"Yes, it must be."

Richard and Kahlan looked at Zedd and begged him to make some sense out of this.

"Sorry guys, can't help. What Cara says is totally new to me. But I recommend that we trust her."

"No guardians, anything?" Richard tried.

"Well it should be without guardians but again I really don't know." Cara was in her thoughts. " Now if the box has been manipulated, I expect there to be someone. Perhaps. But we don't have time to analyze, let's just get in from the south side."

The three of them were again puzzled. Without guardians? Why the box should not have any guardians? They approached the south gate of the sanctuary, which had two main entrances on the left and right hand side and saw winding paths and corridors further away under the arcs. On one side of the main arc of the gate they could read letters 'X.E.M.I.T', on the central piece there was an 'S.', and on the other half it read 'F.O.B.O.'.

"Yess, this is the correct place! And yes, the box has been manipulated, I knew it", Cara rejoiced.

"Ok, how can you tell? What do these strange words mean?" Kahlan asked.

"Oh, I don't know, I have never seen these letters like that", Cara continued to look at the gate and arcs in admiration.

"This is getting stranger and stranger...", Richard muttered.

"We may need some light but I guess candles should be enough. Richard, Zedd, go to search the right pathway", Cara advised, "I go with Kahlan along the other one. We'll meet when the paths join again. We should find the box until then". Kahlan smirked at Cara's wording in the second sentence, unintentional or not, well never mind, yes, the boys, searching for the right pathway as always, sounds familiar. Cool and I wonder what's in store along the other one.

Just before entering the sanctuary, Cara experienced a sudden powerful flashback similar to her dream: It's a beautiful summer day, a hot sunny day, she is young and walks in the town with her friend, they walk everywhere, in the outskirst of the town, the forest, fields, the sanctuary. At the sanctuary the air is pleasantly cooler, there are all kind of beautiful decorations carved in the stones, flowers and geometrical patterns on the walls. There are reliefs, painted glass, mosaics, texts mixed with floral decorations. They feel warm and happy, they read the known texts and imagine the meaning of the unknown ones, plants give soft green colors inside, there are aqueducts and they hear sounds of water. It's really a beautiful place to walk, spend time and enjoy calm days. A tender green-yellow burst of light ended the vision. Yes. This is it. Now she was sure.

"Oh guys, if you didn't get it yet, the text above the gates is an anagram. When I last saw it, long time ago, it read B.O.X. O.F. T.I.M.E.S. You're welcome", Cara smiled and entered the gate with Kahlan.


	7. Chapter 7

"So...we should be looking for the box somewhere here?" Kahlan turned to Cara while they proceeded further inside the sanctuary.

"Yeah. In a way yes, but we are already there." Cara had a confident expression on her face. "We, Richard, Zedd, it doesn't really matter, just stay with me. It's important that we are here."

Kahlan continued cautiously forward and Cara followed. In wider passages they walked side by side.

"Do you expect we will meet trouble? Do we need to fight?"

"Yes, I believe so." The expression on Cara's face didn't exactly correspond to what Kahlan expected. Cara was alert but like partly in another time.

It didn't take long to meet the first attackers. Cara spotted someone at the end of the hallway. It was the same situation as what they had had in the tavern, plus a flash of red light somewhere at the ceiling. Cara took the attacker neatly out before he, or she, didn't have time to raise the bow. Strangely enough, the body of the attacker started to pulverize into ash, leaving behind a formless pile of dark grey substance.

"Oh, Cara. What is this? The same thing as in the tavern? And the ash and the lights? Wow this starts to look dangerous."

"Yes, maybe."

After another turn on the path through the corridors, three sworded men attacked them like out of nowhere. Kahlan was now in front and fought two of them and Cara took care of the third one. It required much more effort from both of them, but from the corner of her eye Kahlan saw that Cara fought with a small smile on her face, with a kind of unexpected confidence.

"Who...what, who are these attackers Cara?" Kahlan gasped and looked at Cara with a big question mark on her face.

Cara put her agiels back.

"The 'guardians' of the box…they are just fools. Not really guardians. Fools who don't know how to handle the box. Hah, the box it's stronger than them."

"So…and these are not real people?"

"They are images that have come into flesh. You remember as Zedd said, the box can change our perceptions. It can feed itself from our imagination."

Even confronted with these strange things, the presence of Cara was so calm that it relaxed Kahlan almost totally. In a way she felt she had slipped into Cara's world, and indeed she knew that Cara was the main person of this story. She hadn't thought it this way.

They walked forward now with a lighter mood and started to see more decorated pillars, statues, altars, painted glass windows and mosaics. The outer world slowly disappeared and was replaced by another world and a new type of light that scattered from somewhere up and illuminated the path

"So what do all these texts and symbols mean?" Kahlan wondered.

"Oh I know only some of them. This, for example, is an ancient kingdom and its rulers, then their love and war affairs with a neighboring kingdom, their symbols are reproduced in these floral patterns", Cara explained a relief that Kahlan touched.

"Wow, and who has made them? Who has collected all these things here?"

"Artists, travellers, poets, sculptors, people who have heard the stories or seen some of these things with their own eyes. People of the town tell that they have wanted to recreate what they saw."

Another flashback... Cara falls into another time but in the same place...Her friend Stephania calls her, she is behind the pillar. Cara, Cara come to see this sculpture...look how beautiful it is...I follow her voice, we are friends, these are the first moments when I start to understand what friendship is about, it's an immense joy...Will I see you next summer Cara...Yes of course we will see I come again with my parents...you promise?...I promise I hope I could come earlier...Promise to me you come, promise you don't leave me…I want to say how important friend she is, how happy I am here with her...I'm shy, I hesitate...

The memory is strong, the face of Stephania, her brown hair and smiling eyes, Cara liked her. She never saw her again. In the autumn a Mord-Sith squad had taken Cara from her family, while in this part of the land Stephania and her family were killed during the unrest incited by certain warlords.

"This painted glass window… look at its cobalt blue, oh so intensive the color. And these flowers, these irises, how they have been sculpted. It's virginica right?" Kahlan's eyes shone when she looked at Cara.

She sees it, she feels it, like we did. For Stephania she couldn't have done anything at that time but still she felt she hadn't done enough. Now she felt she was given a chance.

"I like this particular room...Listen."

"I…"

I liked her so much, Stephania. The times entangled in Cara's mind... different times...she is so much like her. The variants of irises, what more you need, a chance to relive, a very rare thing, a chance to set things straight... _You must_... what she should have done then... _To not let things slip through your fingers_...she wouldn't, not any more.

A shy smile, the hair that frames the face so beautifully.

"You are smiling."

"Wait...listen."

They sat close to each other on the stone bench and started to discern sounds of water. It was like time itself progressed one drop after another. Their fingers were enlaced.

"Kahlan I want to say...you are more than a friend to me."

The surroundings and the place, the sanctuary itself spoke to Kahlan, the same thing that Cara had said. Cara had brought her there, she had brought her to the Box. This was it, there were no further ways to search. Kahlan looked at the walls, the ceiling, the decorations that represented the full spectrum of everything, wars, gods and goddesses, love scenes, stories, emotions. She realized that the decorative motive of arrows could be seen everywhere in this sanctuary, on the walls, corridors, chambers and pillars, everywhere.

Kahlan got it. The sanctuary itself was the Box of Times. It was the place of Cara, one of her places. How clear it was now...Kahlan smiled, damn, Cara knew it all the time. Or maybe she didn't or had forgotten it, but the Box was too strong, it called her back over the years, for a mission, for setting the arrows straight. It was Cara's secret, only she knew how powerful this place can be. Kahlan was part of Cara's story, she was happy to be part it.

"I love you Kahlan."

More than a part.

"Cara…", Kahlan said silently. Cara next to her, open and vulnerable, it was unbearable for Kahlan to keep things anymore separate, to keep a story separate from another. "I...I feel the same for you. Just promise you will be there. Promise." Cara had stepped into her story and she had stepped into Cara's. There was no way out.

"I promise", Cara kissed Kahlan's fingers and lips and they stayed long time silent.

The bright red, orange and green lights, already familiar to them, continued to play in the ceiling. Cara knew her mission with the box was coming to an end. Except one thing.

"Kahlan, there is the ultimate thing…I need to go through this with you. Will you trust me? It will be intense."

"I will, Cara."

"You must kill an image that you love. Richard and Zedd walk soon from that entrance."

"And?"

"You must kill Richard."

"Cara no…", Kahlan touched her arm.

"Those Richard and Zedd are not the real ones. They are the final effects of the box, its perturbed arrows, the final incarnations. If you don't kill him, he will kill you. That person who looks like Richard will really kill you."

Kahlan felt weak and forceless, she had trusted Cara up to this points, and would trust her still, but the idea of shedding blood of a person who even looked like Richard was just… just too much. These thoughts were almost beyond her ability to bear - Sounds at the right side doorway interrupted her thoughts.

"Cara, Kahlan! You are here, good!" Richard and Zedd ran into the hall. "We found the box, it was in a chamber at the end of our route! Let's go quickly there all four of us."

"Yes", Zedd coughed, "yes, it's there. We didn't meet anybody on the route. We are curious what you are going to do with it Cara."

"Oh, g-good", Kahlan stuttered, looked at Richard and then back at Cara. "Cara?"

"We have other things to do Zedd. Something urgent. Kill or be killed, is that right Zedd? Oh you really look and talk like Zedd."

"I don't follow you Cara...", Zedd was perplexed.

Kahlan saw Cara observing Zedd. Cara's eyes were narrow and sharp. She waited for a final confirmation.

"Cara?" Zedd's voice was questioning. "Is everything all right? I know how you must feel when you are so close to fulfilling your mission."

"Yes, everything is very much right. Thanks for your words but what do you know about my mission? And no, oh no, you touch a big subject there, mister wise guy, whoever person you are from the depths of my mind. You don't 'know' my feelings", Cara said and approached Zedd, or the person who stood and coughed in front of her. Zedd wouldn't speak like this, she rejoiced, happy to have gotten her confirmation. "So you two found the box? Well done", she said in an ironic tone.

"Wow, take it easy, are you out of your mind? We just found it, okay? All is fine. Richard, take care of Kahlan", Zedd nodded at Richard.

"Sorry, but I won't take it easy", Cara said in a low voice. She grabbed one of her agiels and put it on Zedd's chest. "And not sorry. Let me salute you in a very special way for finding the box for me."

"No, no, no, what?! Cara stop!" Richard shouted and seemed paralyzed.

Zedd slumped on his knees and fell down on the stone floor. He wheezed and couldn't move, and Cara continued to press with her agiel. The lights reflected from the ceiling, the color of blood on Zedd's lips mixed with it.

"Kahlan", Cara's voice was low and demanding.

"I...I am sorry...", Kahlan looked at Richard, then Cara, then back at Richard and took slowly one of her daggers.

"I don't get you Kahlan. And what is with Cara? Ask her to stop! It's me, Richard. Don't tell me you see here someone else. Don't listen to Cara."

"I'm sorry!" Kahlan's face was twisted. She couldn't stand this any more, it felt too real, the image too similar to Richard, she waited desperately a sign that it was not him. A terrible thought tormented her. Is Cara right? The more he speaks, the more I start to believe this really is him.

Kahlan hesitated a few more seconds and tears formed in her eyes. She heard Cara's voice like from behind a fog… We go through this together… I don't leave you…she saw the lights in the ceiling intensify, becoming blood-red and playing like in the Northern Skies during the winter, she saw gentle eyes but also two clenching fists… a real Richard would never do that!…never... She pushed the dagger into the heart of the person that stood in front of her, he looked like Richard but it wasn't. The person fell down on the ground gasping, became weaker... It was terrible.

Kahlan fell on her knees, emotions took over. She knew it was not Richard but she couldn't look any more, she covered her face and sobbed.

Cara went to Kahlan and put her arms around her. After agonizing moments the lights in the ceiling started to fade out. The two bodies which had looked like Zedd and Richard started to transform into ash, then became unrecognizable.

"Kahlan!" Richard walked into the hall with Zedd behind him. "What happened, are you all right?" Richard saw the two piles of ash and ran to Kahlan.

Kahlan sobbed on the floor. They looked around but didn't see any more disturbances. It was over, the sanctuary was calm, the air fresher and the light bright.

"Cara, what now?"

"It's over."

Cara's voice was so determined that Richard and Zedd didn't ask anything more for a while and they started to walk back to the south gate.

"So…", Zedd started cautiously when they approached the entrance. "What about the box, Cara? Did you finally find it?"

"Actually -"

"Oh, we didn't find it either. But I was sure we walked through all the corridors and chambers on our way, didn't we Richard?... Did you do the same Cara?"

"Yes, through all the corridors and chambers, of course."

It was much warmer outside than what they remembered. Richard saw colorful flowers and a greener grass.

"Oh look at the flowers, they are fresh. It's like...it's like early summer again. Damn that box really played us."

"I think it did", Cara smiled. "Yes everything is possible. For now things are fine, trust me. You remember, arrows of Emotions, War, Love and what not. They are fine for now, at least what comes to the box."

"I think we do have still questions Cara", Richard said. He saw Kahlan walk calm and happy. "Well at least me and Zedd."

"There are always questions. I can just give my Mord-Sith-kind-of answers, you can buy them or not, haha, how you like."

"First, who manipulated the box? Then, wherever the box is in that sanctuary, why it doesn't need any protectors? And did you know about this all the time?"

"Well, good questions. I believe many people have tried to manipulate the box. Probably it was more successful earlier, you remember what I told you in the beginning and what Zedd told you. But the successes didn't last long, the box is apparently much stronger than those who have tried to manipulate it. It's like forcing stories to too narrow paths or trying to not to make them mix", Cara laughed and looked at the others. "You like stories, huh? And hope this is deep enough stuff for you Zedd?"

Zedd smiled and tried to add something to Cara's explanation.

"Some local fools had probably tried things, messed it up a little bit...And whoever have found the box over the years, time and again, may have found it has powers?"

"Yeah I guess so", Cara continued. "It's ok. It led me here with you all, it related to my past, to some important things. No, I didn't know about this first, we needed the journey that I remembered it."

Cara made a little break and started to look bored of so much lecturing.

"So much speaking… Okay why it shouldn't have protectors? Well, you tell me. Should it have? Should the powers that affect or play with our imagination be controlled? Even if they mix things up a little bit? Or big time? Listen, if you spend your youth in Mord-Sith training schools, I can guarantee that you need powers of imagination, every single day. You must harness every damn bit of your imagination to stand it. But you can think about this what you want."

The path seemed to be clear, the arrows of the box set to follow their unperturbed flow, and all four in a happy mood. They were sure that new adventures were just about to start.

Cara threw a final look at the sanctuary, saw the main arc of the south gate and read the letters in the left and right side of the arc and the central piece. B.O.X. O.F. T.I.M.E.S. Exactly as she remembered.

THE END


End file.
